Monday, November 4, 2013

Book Blitz: Visions by Laura N. Anile - Author Interview & Excerpt

Synopsis:What would you sacrifice to save a stranger?Isabel Cartier is career-driven and a little self-obsessed. Her future has been carefully planned—until something mysterious happens. When Isabel begins to experience premonitions of strangers in potentially life-threatening situations, she must decide what she is willing to do—and sacrifice—in order to save the people in her visions.

As her premonitions progress, the level of risk to her own life escalates, and she’s thrown into an unknown world that will put more than just her career in jeopardy.

It is only when her life spins out of control that she is able to take chances that she never thought possible—including opening her heart to love.

There's Matt, the handsome stranger she saves from a terrible accident. But will she ever see him again? Then there's Jeremy, her thoughtful neighbor who's down on his luck. Both will shape her path and leave her breathless. But it’s another man, who she sees in her visions over and over again, who will leave her questioning everything. Does he have nine lives, or is it up to Isabel to figure out the parameters of a game she doesn't quite understand in order to truly save him?

Visions follows Isabel’s journey to find out if she has the courage she needs to save the people in her premonitions, and how, ultimately, their lives are intertwined with hers.

I
knew I wasn’t getting any more out of him; whatever he had planned, he wasn’t
giving it away. Given I’d only just discovered his cooking skills, I hoped he’d
be flaunting his domestic capabilities again. But the heat in his eyes led me
to believe it was something else he had in mind. I was a little nervous, but
flushed with eager anticipation. Whatever was on the evening agenda, I knew I
was in good hands. Warm, masterful hands…

I
snuggled closer to him and breathed in his familiar scent.

“I
might give you a preview,” he murmured in my ear, his voice deepening as he
tugged me to the bedroom and pulled me onto the bed. A wave of heat immediately
ignited within me and my hands found their way under his clothes. The feel of
his skin against mine, his body moving with mine, took my breath away.

Later,
I fell asleep in his arms, my last thoughts of the unbridled anticipation of
whatever he had in store for the following evening.

It
started as it usually did. Me looking down at the multiple-choice test with his
hand on my shoulder. But then the scene shifted and I was no longer in the exam
room looking at a piece of paper. A piece of paper couldn’t physically hurt me;
what was now in front of me could. Absolutely terrified, I dared to take a glimpse
at the man holding the gun. He was dressed all in black, wearing a riding
jacket over a T-shirt and jeans. His face was completely obscured by the black
helmet he wore. I glanced behind him and saw my terror reflected back at me in
the eyes of the woman behind the teller. There were four other people in the
bank, besides the three tellers. A woman, with a young girl who appeared to be
between ten and twelve, and two men. One of the men looked to be in his
forties, and wore a navy suit with a gold tie. The other was in a black suit
with his back to me.

The
young girl began screaming; a scream that made your blood run cold. Her mother
instantly tried to placate her, eventually smothering her mouth when those
attempts failed. That only intensified the screaming, agitating the girl more.

The
gunman flew into a rage, demanding the girl be silenced before he silenced her. His hand twitched in
fury. Could he honestly harm a child?
I wondered, as fear crashed over me. The interminable screaming shrilled
through the bank as the girl thrashed in her mother’s arms. My skin tingled,
the air electrified with trepidation.

The
gunman pointed the weapon directly at the child, narrowing his eyes. Time
slowed down, like someone hit pause.

A
feeling of complete and utter helplessness reverberated through me as I
frantically scanned the room, searching for some kind of help to magically
materialize.

A
number suddenly flickered in my vision, flashing like a number on a screen:
12.19. I blinked; it felt like a camera flash had just gone off in my eyes.
Then I noticed the calendar. All I saw was Thursday before the scene began to
move once more, still in slow motion. My attention instantly returned to the
gunman. His finger inched towards the trigger. His whole body was shaking.

Panic
crippled me. This was it and I had no idea what to do.

A
growl erupted from the gunman’s throat as his feeble control shattered and his
finger pulled back the trigger.

There
was no time left to decide, to think. There was only time to act. Instinctively,
I jumped in front of the young girl as I heard the deafening crack of the gun
being fired.

The
drama and risk involved in her premonitions escalates as the story unfolds,
testing her resolve. Her other visions are far less intense – things that would
be plausible on a more regular basis.

It’s
not actually a thriller – it’s about her opening up to possibilities she never
thought possible, and explores how she’s connected to the people she sees. It’s
about her struggle to deal with these unexplained events and the choices she
needs to make, ultimately redefining the person she wants to be.

And
there’s a love interest or two thrown in :-) Who doesn’t love a good romance?

The concept of the book makes you wonder just
what any of us would do if we had similar premonitions. Would we ignore them or
go out of our way and risk our lives to save the people in them?

That’s
the question! The premonitions that Isabel experiences start off small and end
up becoming increasingly challenging and risky. She needs to throw all of her
previous ideas and plans out the window and discover what she’s really made of
– and what’s really important to her.

She
starts off seeing everything in black and white and is thrown (against her
will) into a world of gray. The more she sees in her visions, the more she’s
forced to start looking within. She’s obsessed with trying to work out the
rules, when really, there are no rules. She has to learn to stop thinking and
just start feeling.

Her
experiences leave her questioning the idea of fate: what’s controllable, what
isn’t, what is she willing to give and what is she willing to lose?

Are any of the characters or events based on
real experiences?

One of
Isabel’s premonitions is actually based on a real event: a car accident I
witnessed from my office window. The car ended up on the sidewalk and it was a
miracle that no one was seriously injured. I guess it stuck in my mind. Of
course, in Isabel’s premonition, one of the pedestrians wasn’t as lucky.

Where is the book set?

Mostly
San Francisco, which I think is an ideal backdrop for the story. But Isabel
travels to Florence, Italy at the beginning of the book, and four of the
chapters are set there. I was actually in Florence when I wrote the first draft
of those chapters, so I was feeling inspired :-)

Speaking of inspiration, what inspired you to
write the story?

I was intrigued
by the idea of how someone would react in these types of circumstances,
especially if that person was the opposite of someone you’d expect to be open
to it. Could they dismiss it or ignore it if they saw someone in danger? Would
they feel compelled to act? How would the people in their visions be connected
to them? What price would they be willing to pay to save someone?

I’m
fascinated by the concept of fate versus choice, and the course of our lives
being a tapestry with so many unseen threads tying it all together. Who
controls the strings?

Having
the ability to see into the future opens up a world of possibilities, but it
would come at a cost. Especially if you couldn’t control what you saw, or when.
I wanted to explore the contradictory effects of having that kind of ability.

I like
the idea that nothing is what it seems. And just when you think you have it all
figured out, the tables turn. What is the purpose, how much control does she
really have and, in the end, who is it that is really saving who?

Plus, I
like the idea of the girl being the one to save the guys for a change! ;-)

Why did you choose this particular genre?

I love
the fact that anything is possible within the paranormal genre. And I’m
intrigued by characters who have special abilities. When you can do anything or
be anyone, who do you choose to be? There’s always a cost to the power that
these characters wield, and I wanted to explore both sides of the coin.

Can you tell us about the next book in the
series?

The
next book is called Dangerous Games.
I can’t give too much away or it will be a spoiler for the first book, but
here’s the tag line for Dangerous Games:

‘Being gifted can be dangerous when the wrong
people discover your secret.’

There’s
a short description at the end of Visions,
so readers can find out more without spoiling the ending.

Do you have any other available samples of your
writing for readers?

I’ve
written a collection of short stories, Unmasked
Secrets, which is available for free download here:Amazon, iTunes and Kobo (anyone with a Nook can email me for a
free copy).The stories are quite different, but I really enjoyed
writing them. I hope you enjoy reading them!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*About the Author

J.
A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep
you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera,
but Laura has had a lifelong love of writing, which she explored in
a successful marketing career before penning her first novel. She
is fascinated by the ideas of fate and interconnectedness, central
themes in her story. She loves all things humorous, laughs too
loudly and finds her own jokes amusing. She has a passion for
traveling and exploring the world but has a phobia of suspect hotel rooms
with questionable hygiene. And, oh yeah, she isn't clairvoyant and
doesn't own any crystal balls.

In addition to 'Visions', she has also written a collection of short stories,
entitled 'Unmasked Secrets'.
For more information, please go to www.lauraanile.com.

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About Me

Bestselling and award-winning YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works as an editor for two publishers, as well as select indie authors. She shares her home with her teenage son, three dogs, and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains,
and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take
a chocolate covered superhero!) She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has
been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different
cities and states.